Fall colors may be short and sweet this year

ALTON - As trees turn russet hues, the fall foliage may peak in a short burst of color after a summer of unprecedented heat and drought.

Judging by past seasons, colors are expected to peak soon, said Jong Cambron, public relations director for the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"With the bluffs on one side and the Mississippi River on the other, the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway (Illinois Route 100 from Alton to Grafton) is one of the best fall color drives to take," Cambron said. "We are keeping track of the color changes on our website at VisitAlton.com/FallColors. On that page, we keep viewers notified of the percent of leaves that have changed colors and have also uploaded slide shows of the changing fall colors all around Alton."

On Thursday, the site indicated that 25 percent of leaves have changed, so it remains unclear what impact the summer weather will have on the season's display.

"Drought is bad for fall colors," said Jeffrey Dawson, a professor emeritus of natural resources and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois. "In a normal fall season with plenty of rainfall, the leaves should begin to change in October. In a fall season such as this one, we are seeing a premature leaf drop. This affects fall colors, because with leaves falling from the trees earlier, fewer leaves are left to actually change color."

Even though the summer drought has affected the health of Illinois trees, state climatologist Jim Angel remains hopeful that fall colors still will make an appearance this season.

"All is not lost. The recent rains and cooler weather have slowed the deterioration of the trees' health," he said. "I'm a little more optimistic now than I was a month ago.

"Predicting fall color is still more art than science," Angel admitted. "The best recipe for good fall color consists of a growing season without stress (such as that brought on by drought, flood or heat), followed by fall that has clear, sunny days and night temperatures that are crisp but not below freezing."

To savor the season's splendor, fall foliage enthusiasts can enjoy the vibrant transformation in a number of ways.

If viewing from a car, drivers along the Great River Road might consider taking a break at the recently developed Riverfront Park at the Piasa Harbor facility, suggested Alley Ringhausen, executive director of the Great Rivers Land Trust.

"At the Harbor, you can enjoy hiking trails or even a picnic along the riverfront," he said. "There are also opportunities to rent a bike and ride along the Vadalabene Trail, or rent a kayak or canoe and paddle up the Piasa Creek to enjoy the fall foliage."

Despite the beauty of the chromatic display, Dawson emphasized that color change is a normal, living process for trees.

"During the period of color change, sugars and other nutrients from the leaves move back into the tree, allowing it to retain (sugars and nutrients) efficiently, rather than shedding them with subsequent leaf fall," he said.

Madeline Ley of the University of Illinois provided some information for this article.